Primus Inter Pares
by LadyEmber
Summary: With war comes violence, pain, loss and bloodshed. Naruto knew this, had seen this. And was willing to give up everything, even his life to stop this cycle. Character deaths and gorey-stuffs. And apologies for the bad summary!


**Title: Primus Inter Pares (First Amongst Equals)**

**Dislaimer: I don't not own Naruto, nor any characters within this series.**

**Warning: contains character death

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**The first into battle  
**

_When you're in the middle of the battlefield, it's not a good thing to get cocky._  
Kiba would have told you that, were it not for the blade that had ripped its way through his throat, shredding his voice box with cold, tempered steel; The same blade that had previously stained the life of his companion, piercing with unrelenting force. Regretfully, the dog departed while choking on the blood clogged in his airway.

**The first in the line of fire  
**

_Distractions are not permitted to be __humored when you're fighting for your life.  
_Hinata would have told you that, but she stayed still too long whilst staring at her fiancée's broken body, the fresh blood pumped from his slit throat, slower and slower. Her tear-filled eyes did not warn her of the trap beneath the earth, and she was impaled upon jagged wooden spikes. Now her 'blind-looking' eyes truly were sightless, still gazing towards Kiba's crumpled form.

**The first seen  
**

_Clothing choices are all important when you are about to battle for your life.  
_Ino would have told you this, considering her purple clothing and uncovered blonde hair drew attention and enemy fire towards her like a beacon. She was impaled by numerous weapons, until it was left to her boyfriend of only two days, Choji, to put her out of her misery. Death had left her a frail husk in the dawn's morning light, and as he turned roughly away to deal retribution to those who had wrought such misery upon his kind-hearted soul, his tears scattered into the air.

**The first shot  
**

_Placement is always important whenever you set up a headquarters.  
_Shikamaru would have told you this, if his corpse were not already busy being shredded to pieces by flying shrapnel. A bomb was successfully set off beneath the shinobi command centre. His shadow-mimic jutsu would not help Asuma get through anymore paperwork, nor creatively tease his close 'friend' Temari on their weekend dates.

**The first wounded  
**

_Emotions should be locked away during battle, regardless of the situation.  
_Sakura would have told you this, as she was unable to save yet another injured nin who had been beyond help. She was distracted from the guilt by the sparkling ring on her left hand. Lee had finally found the courage to ask her out only a month or two ago, and only days ago to ask her to marry him. She smiled as she heard his voice and then her neck was broken.

**The first left to die  
**

_Determination is key when facing others - never give up._  
Lee would have told you this, but his battered and bloodied form was too busy cradling the body of his fiancé, ignoring the way her neck flopped and focused tenderly on her green eyes, still smiling. His angry bellow as he watched her fall had merely drawn greater attention to his green-clad form. His charge forward had been hampered greatly by a large group of Iwa nin's, who hammered his spinning form with stone spikes of greater and greater sizes, making them hard for him to break and deflect, even with all the flames of youth that he possessed. On seeing his profusely bleeding form on the floor they left, needed elsewhere. He dragged his broken body the seemingly endless distance to his tenshi, before welcoming death's embrace as he laid by her side.

**The first to lie alone on the cold ground**

_Work with your strengths, and don't back down.  
_Shino would have told you this, but he was merely an empty hive now, his body blackened and his clothes charred. His strengths had never been against fire, but he had forced himself to act, knowing it would kill him. He did this to save the two trapped chuunin. After exhausting his hive, he finally felt the absoluteness of being alone for the first time in his life. The feeling did not last long. With dark glasses falling aside, grey eyes stared uncovered at the weeping sky.

**The first to pass into the next world**

_No matter your strength, numbers are always consequential.__**  
**_Kakashi would have told you this if he were not lain out on the blood-soaked ground, a kunai filling his eye-socket. Finally, his sharingan had faltered and he had been left half-blind in the middle of a storm of metal. With his left eye gone and fatigue dragging at his right, he had been just a second too slow. He didn't see it coming; instant death.

**The first to leave friends behind**

_If something looks suspicious, don't get closer to try and figure out why.  
_Neji would have told you this but his mouth was left a gaping wound of bleeding meat. His face was more lax now in death due to his shattered jaw, smashed to pieces by a continuous brutal pummelling from rocks guided by a trio of Iwa ninja. He had not died easily or quickly. Now his all-seeing eyes were seeing nothing as they gaped up at the darkened sky.

**  
The first to leave a lover behind**

_Don't rush ahead without a friend beside you,__ 'cause last chance goodbyes rest precariously on the wind.  
_

Naruto would have told you this, but he was too busy writhing in pain as he fought against the Kyuubi, stopping its escape and any further destruction it wished to lay unto Konoha. Looking around through pained eyes, he took in the fallen bodies of friends, comrades, strangers, and 'the enemy'. His scream of pain was echoed by a roaring screech from Kyuubi. Slowly it was clawing at the seal, piece by minute piece it was failing. Naruto could do nothing… or could he?

_**~Shik**__**i Fujin no jutsu~**_

Again Naruto was forced to put others first before himself, the safety of Konoha before his own life, his own happiness. Given no time to say goodbye to his fallen friends Naruto finally saw the face of the Shinigami, and his soul, along with Kyuubi, was consumed.

_**The last to see the clouded sky,**_

_** never to again watch the sun roll by, **_

_**nor to watch night blanket day,**_

_** left now with no strength to stay**._

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy seemingly collapsed for no reason. But the flailing chakra emitted from Kyuubi as it fought desperately against the grip of the Shinigami was so strong it caused visible waves of pungent chakra to sweep the battlefield.

All movement stopped, nothing moved.

The war was ended.

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Inspired by my poem I'd uploaded to here a while ago. Poem lines shown in **BOLD**.

Ember out, ja ne x


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